"Skyler Adriel, is it?"
The judge's deep, steady voice filled the courtroom.
"The man who vanished for ten long years, now returns, only to be named as a suspect in the recent incident that brought unexpected disaster upon our land."
Murmurs spread among the audience, their whispers carrying the weight of fear and memory. Many of them had lived through that chaos, and just the mention of it was enough to darken the air with dread.
The judge adjusted the papers in his hand, his sharp gaze never leaving Skyler.
"On this day, Skyler Adriel, your judgment will be decided here. This court will determine your fate."
The silence that followed was suffocating. Every eye in the chamber was fixed on the man in chains.
Then, the judge turned slightly to his right.
"Miyaki, step forward and tell this court what you witnessed. Speak the truth of what you saw and explain this situation in full."
He said firmly.
Miyaki stepped forward, her expression calm but her voice steady.
"I was scouting the area, looking for anyone who might need help. That's when I came across… him."
She pointed lightly toward me.
"He was in danger. And not long after, I encountered Skyler."
Her words carried a quiet weight.
"What followed… was a battle."
Miyaki continued, her tone firm.
"An intense fight between us. When I finally defeated him, I tried to get some answers from him, but he refused to speak. Not a single word."
Her voice wavered ever so slightly, but she kept her composure.
The audience shifted uncomfortably. Some faces were pale with unease, while others exchanged fearful whispers. The thought of Skyler hiding something, perhaps even another disaster like the one that struck just days ago, spread through the crowd like wildfire.
The Judge adjusted his glasses, his eyes narrowing in deep thought as he digested Miyaki's testimony. For a long moment, silence hung heavy in the hall.
Finally, his stern voice cut through the tension.
"Skyler Adriel, this is your chance to state your truth."
All eyes turned toward the man in chains.
"..."
But Skyler remained utterly still. No words. No excuses. No explanations.
Only silence. Cold, impenetrable silence.
The weight of his refusal pressed down on the audience. Whispers broke out again, sharper this time, tinged with fear and confusion.
"Why won't he say anything?"
"Is he really hiding something?"
The crowd's anxious whispers spread like ripples on water, each word twisting the air heavier with suspicion and unease. Even the Judge, dignified and composed as he was, furrowed his brows in quiet confusion. Skyler's silence was an answer in itself that no one could understand.
Aina's hands tightened together, her knuckles turning white. Her gaze never left Skyler, her heart pounding in her chest.
"Sky… Why won't you say anything?"
Her lips trembled as her thoughts screamed in silence.
"Is this really what you've chosen to do? To stay silent?"
Miyaki thought as her gaze fixed on him with narrowed eyes.
The Judge adjusted his glasses and flipped through the thick report once more before reading aloud, his voice echoing across the chamber:
"Skyler Adriel. Before you were found wandering in the town at night, evidence linked you to Miho Takashi, another spy working under the name of Dorven Markson. According to His Majesty's statement, you were one of them, the very ones who plotted the unexpected disaster. Furthermore—"
The Judge's voice grew heavier as he raised his eyes to the court.
"As Miho claimed, you have also worked alongside… The Dark Silencer."
The moment that name left his lips, the courtroom froze.
Whispers turned into gasps. A cold shiver ran through the hall, pressing down on everyone present. Even the Judge's calm tone could not soften the impact of those words.
Miyaki's eyes widened. Warson stiffened beside her. Even the three leaders, who had faced countless dangers before, showed visible shock.
"How come I never knew about this?"
Zephier muttered, his brow furrowed deeply. His voice carried both confusion and disbelief.
"Even a few days ago, we all were in the meeting with His Majesty… but there was no mention of it."
"I didn't know either…"
Serphina admitted, her voice low, her confusion plain.
Thalios, however, said nothing for a long moment. His stern gaze remained locked on Skyler, who stood silently in chains at the center. Finally, his voice cut through the tension:
"That name… that figure… it reappeared again. The one who destroyed His Majesty's life… and his as well."
The weight in his words lingered, and the room fell silent once more with every eye slowly turning back toward Skyler. Then the judge flipped to the next page of the report, his calm yet commanding voice carrying through the courtroom.
"His Majesty, on that day, Dorven's memories revealed fragments of images of you, Dorven, Miho, and The Dark Silencer. However, these fragments lack proper context. The reasons why you were among them remain unconfirmed."
The Judge's eyes shifted back toward the center of the room, where Skyler stood in chains. His voice echoed with finality.
"So, Skyler Adriel. This is your last chance before I deliver my judgment."
"..."
Once again, silence. Skyler's lips didn't part. His cold gaze remained fixed on nothing, his body as still as stone.
The tension in the air thickened—until Miyaki suddenly stepped forward, raising her hand.
"Your Honor, I wish to propose. I request that Skyler Adriel's final judgment be delayed. Further investigation should be conducted before any decision is made."
She said firmly, her voice breaking through the silence.
The crowd stirred instantly, gasps and whispers filling the hall.
Miyaki drew in a breath, steadying herself, and declared:
"I, Miyaki Hanae, stand to defend Skyler Adriel—for he did not willingly involve himself with The Dark Silencer."
The room erupted with shock, which rippled through the people like a storm, but before the murmurs could settle, a voice rang out from across the court.
"I object."
It was Serphina, her hand raised with her tone sharp.
"Your Honor, I cannot allow this proposal to pass, as we do not have enough time. If the enemy is truly moving, they could already be setting traps within this city."
"Serphina…"
Miyaki muttered, her brows furrowing as her eyes narrowed with both disappointment and frustration.
Serphina did not waver in her eyes, which glinted with resolve as she spoke.
"What if you are wrong, Miyaki? What if Skyler truly is part of this? Then your defense will have only bought him time to strike again."
"But—what if he isn't? What if he's innocent, forced into this against his will?"
Miyaki's voice slightly trembled as her eyes locked with Serphina's, as she pressed on.
Serphina shook her head.
"I know you have once taught him... and me, too. I understand your feelings. However, as a leader of this city, someone sworn to protect our people, my duty comes first. I cannot risk the lives of thousands for the sake of one man."
The two women locked eyes across the courtroom, their words clashing like blades, duty against faith, caution against conviction.
In the middle of it all, Skyler remained silent, unmoving.
"What's the rush? Really? For a single man that can bring everything down in an instant?"
Miyaki's voice cut sharply through the murmurs of the crowd.
Her words rang with defiance, but Serphina's reply came just as quickly, calm yet merciless.
"Sensei, you know as well as I do. Skyler Adriel is too dangerous to be allowed anywhere near this town."
The audience stirred again as tension swelled between them. Miyaki's lips parted, but no words came. Her confidence wavered as she realized the weight of the opposition stacked against her.
Aina's fists trembled at her sides, her nails digging into her palms.
"No… If this proposal fails, Skyler's fate will be sealed."
Her thoughts spiraled, crashing over her like waves, with her heartbeat quickening, thundering in her chest so loud she swore the whole court could hear it.
And something… started to glow.
The Judge adjusted his glasses and leaned back with a heavy sigh. His voice cut through the tense silence.
"Miss Miyaki. Do you have anything else to say?"
Miyaki lowered her head, her lips pressed into a thin line.
"…No, Your Honor."
The Judge gave one last look at Skyler, who stood motionless, chained in silence. With closed eyes, he made his decision.
"From the information provided by Serphina, Skyler Adriel is indeed too dangerous to be allowed freedom and alive in this town. Furthermore, he has offered no words, no defense to prove otherwise."
He raised his hand, the entire court holding its breath.
"As my final decision, I must decline your proposal, Miss Miyaki."
A collective gasp swept through the courtroom. Whispers surged like a restless tide.
Miyaki's eyes widened, her frustration barely hidden. Siana covered her mouth in shock, trembling at the words she had just heard. Warson's fists clenched tightly with nothing to say. The three leaders exchanged grim, knowing looks, as though they had already expected this ending.
And then there was us—me, Siana, and most of all… Aina.
"No… it can't end like this. Not like this."
Her eyes were wide and shaking, shimmering with tears that refused to fall. Her body trembled, her fragile hope crumbling into despair.
The Judge lowered his hand with finality. At his signal, soldiers marched in, their armor clanking as they moved toward Skyler. Chains rattled as they reached for him.
"Skyler, is this really what you wanted? Even so—Where are you, Leroy!?"
Miyaki's voice screamed inside her own head, anguished.
The soldiers tightened their hold. And then the Judge spoke his final decree:
"Skyler Adriel, for your crimes against the town of Lightwoods, this court hereby sentences you to dea—"
The Judge's words cut off.
In that instant, a blinding orange light burst forth.
It leapt from the crowd with an inhuman speed, flashing across the hall like a shooting star. Gasps erupted as every eye turned toward its source—Aina.
Her chest burned with a radiant orange glow, her eyes igniting with the same fiery light. Her small frame landed between Skyler and the soldiers, shielding him with a force none had expected.
The hall erupted into chaos. Gasps and shouts filled the air, but all of it blurred against the single, radiant figure standing in the center.
The Judge froze mid-motion. The soldiers faltered, eyes wide in disbelief. In that glow, trembling but unyielding, Aina's voice finally broke through.
"Sky!"
Her cry echoed across the chamber like a desperate plea.
Skyler's eyes widened—shocked. That voice… it pierced the silence he had wrapped himself in for so long. For the first time, his gaze truly lifted, meeting hers.
Aina's body shook as she leapt down from the audience's edge, landing hard in the center as though nothing else mattered but reaching him.
But she never made it.
Two soldiers surged forward, catching her mid-sprint. Their armored arms wrapped around her shoulders, pinning her down to the cold floor. She struggled, her hands clawing at the stone, but the strength of their grip was merciless.
"No! Let me go! Sky—!"
Her eyes, glowing bright orange only moments ago, began to dim. The light flickered, fading with her hope. Tears streamed freely down her face as her trembling voice cracked.
"I can't reach him… please… don't go… Sky."
And that was the moment, a memory flickered before Skyler's eyes, a dark blue–haired girl from his past. The image seared into his heart, and something inside him finally snapped.
His head lowered with his hair shadowing his face, and his eyes sharpened, burning with a storm of anger. His chains rattled violently as a sudden white lightning aura erupted around him, surging like a tempest ready to devour everything.
The floor trembled violently. Sparks hissed and snapped across Skyler's body, each flash brighter than the last.
And then… he moved.
Clang!
The iron chains shattered like fragile glass, bursting apart as lightning stormed through the chamber. Gasps of terror erupted from the crowd. It was as if a raging thunderstorm had been born inside the courtroom itself, and Skyler stood at its eye.
Soldiers around him were blown back by the sheer force, their bodies flung toward the edge of the central platform. The audience clung to the railings above, some screaming, others frozen in fear.
At the heart of it all, Skyler's aura surged feral, awakened, and unstoppable.
With eyes burning in fury, he lunged forward. His fist crackled with blinding lightning as he struck toward the soldiers pinning Aina down. The men's faces twisted in horror, seeing death itself bearing down on them, but before the blow could land, three flashes of steel cut through the chaos.
Blades hovered at Skyler's neck, stopping him cold. The oppressive force of three leaders bore down on him at once.
Serphina, her obsidian-black sword humming with dark energy.
Zephier, his dual blades gleaming with sharp, glowing green in unwavering precision.
And Thalios, whose watery blade flowed like a living tide, its edge glistening against Skyler's skin.
The three stood as one, their eyes hard, their intent deadly.
"You have gone too far… Skyler Adriel."
The words echoed like a verdict from Serphina.
The courtroom was no longer a place of order—it had become a storm. As the crowd screamed in panic, surging like waves as the heat and pressure in the air grew heavier with every second of Skyler's lightning.
"Everyone this way! Move quickly, don't push!"
Warson's booming voice rose above the chaos. His massive frame cut through the crowd as he waved his arm, guiding terrified civilians toward the exits. Soldiers scrambled to keep order, but fear had already taken hold.
Through the chaos, Warson's sharp eyes caught Miyaki. Her hand hovered over her katana, her body tense, ready to leap into the storm where Skyler stood.
But before she could unsheathe it—
"Stop it, Miyaki!"
Warson moved in, his arm outstretched, halting her. His voice carried the weight of command.
"Let them handle it. Right now, we've got a bigger problem."
Miyaki froze, her jaw tight. Her gaze flickered toward the center, where Skyler stood surrounded by blades, then back to the civilians screaming in fear.
Her fist clenched, but she exhaled sharply and turned away.
"...Tch."
In the next instant, her body blurred, leaping inhumanly high across the room to the opposite side. With swift, precise movements, she began pulling people out of danger, soldiers rallying behind her lead.
"Aki!"
Warson shouted my name, his voice like thunder in the storm.
"Help me get them out before anyone gets crushed! And princess—stay with him!"
Siana and I exchanged a glance, both of us nodding.
We dashed into the sea of panic, pushing through the frightened crowd to do our part.
The three leaders stood firm, their blades gleaming in the stormlight as Skyler's eyes glowed a blinding white. The air around him crackled with violent electricity, making every breath heavy with danger.
"Skyler Adriel, surrender now, or things will—"
Zephier shouted, his dual blades raised, but he never finished.
A flash—like lightning, tearing through the sky, exploded from Skyler's arm. His left hand swung upward, releasing a roaring surge of white lightning.
Zephier barely managed to twist his body, the bolt searing past his cheek. The shockwave alone sent him stumbling back, sparks tearing across his armor.
Skyler didn't pause as he started to press forward, his strikes laced with raw thunder, forcing the three leaders back a step.
Out of nowhere—
Clang!
A dark blur slashed from behind him. Serphina's blade, coated in a black, seething aura, screamed toward his back with deadly precision. Her eyes were sharp, merciless, certain of her strike.
But—
KRAANG!
The shriek of metal split the air. Skyler turned, his cybernetic arm rising in a blur, the black steel of her blade colliding against the hardened metal with sparks flying. Serphina's eyes widened.
"He blocked it…?!"
Before she could recover, Skyler's body twisted—his fist charged with lightning, ready to crush her.
But another flash cut in.
SWOOOSH!
A blade of water swept between them, forcing Skyler's strike aside. Thalios stood firm, his summoned sword flowing like a river yet sharp as steel, his gaze unwavering.
She gritted her teeth and leapt back, reforming the triangle with Zephier and Thalios.
The hall trembled under the clash of their power. White lightning scorched the ground beneath Skyler's feet, black aura crackled off Serphina's sword, and the roar of rushing water swirled around Thalios.
A 3 vs 1 battle—and yet, it was Skyler who stood at the center, his awakened power pushing even the three leaders onto the defensive.
Skyler's body twitched unnaturally, his movements jagged, unstable. His shoulders pulsed with blinding arcs of white lightning, each spark snapping louder than the last. Then, like a sinister echo, in black flame-like aura seeped from his cybernetic arm, twisting together with the storm.
The leaders tensed. Their instincts screamed the same truth.
Something was about to explode.
"His power… It's spiking!"
Zephier hissed, blades ready.
"We need to stop him—"
Thalios's grip tightened on his watery sword.
But before he could finish, Skyler's skin began to glow with jagged lines, lightning etched into his flesh, crawling up his face and arms like living scars. His aura roared, a storm threatening to consume the chamber whole.
From across the hall, Miyaki froze mid-step as she guided civilians out. Her breath hitched, her chest tightening as her eyes locked on Skyler. The sensation of "that terrifying pressure" was unmistakable.
"Damn it! This is stronger than the last time I fought him!"
She cursed inwardly. Her legs moved on instinct, katana sliding from its sheath. She couldn't hesitate—not now. If he unleashed that power here, the entire courtroom could be reduced to ash.
The three leaders moved as one, blades raised, ready to cut him down before it was too late.
And then—
BOOOOOOM!
The massive courtroom doors slammed open with a thunderous crash, the sound echoing like a divine hammer through the hall. Everyone froze, their weapons halting mid-strike, their breaths caught in their throats.
A single commanding voice cut through the chaos.
"STOP THIS ALL AT ONCE!"
The sheer weight of the voice was enough to pin the room into silence.
Every soldier snapped to attention. The audience, still trembling from the storm's pressure, turned their wide eyes toward the doorway.
And there he stood.
A young man clad in royal garb, his presence radiating authority that shook the hall to its very foundation. His steps were calm, yet every echo of his boots carried the weight of a king.
"Y-Your Majesty…!"
A soldier gasped, dropping to one knee.
"He's here!"
Another cried in disbelief.
All eyes turned.
Finally, the Young King had arrived.